The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-01
SUFFRAGE.
The Maine Woman Suffrage Asso-
ciation's Letter to the Legislature.

To the Honorable Senate and House of
Representatives;
Gentlemen The Maine Woman Suffrage
Association understood that petitions would
not be received by the Legislature beyond
specified date. After sending over two
thousand, two hundred and forty names of
petitioners for the submission of an amend
ment to the constitution giving the ballot to
women--six hundred and forty of which
came from Portland-our association ceased
TO ask for signatures. Many more could
have been obtained. Among those who sign
ed, or would now sign, are prominent ladies
of Portland and the State
Mrs. Margaret w. I. Merrill and Mrs.
Augusta NJ. Hunt of Portland, Mrs. L. NJ. N.
Stevens of Stroudwater, Mrs. Hannah j.
Bailey Of Winthrop and Mrs. l.. w. Weston
of Skowhegan, may be named as representa-
tiyes of many Others.
We did not imagine, however that prom
inent ladies were to dictate your action. Nor
did we suppose that Portland, on whichever
side its majority of petitioners might be,
would be considered the judge of the
wisdom OF submitting an amendment. Our
appeal is to the State. We ask all men and
women of our beloved commonwealth to
consider the justice of our request. That
request is not for woman suffrage but for an
opportunity by which the voters of the State
can express their wishes concerning woman
suffrage. That opportunity can only be
reached through you. Only the Legislature
can give permission to the citizens of Maine
to vote, not debate, on this important sub
ject.
We respectfully solicit your votes, there
fore, for the resolve now before you concern
ing an amendment to the constitution.
We ask the Senate. in the name of justice,
to maintain its recent position with two
thirds vote. We ask the House to concur.
For the debate upon our cause has been
long continued. Its advocates are intelligent
and conscientious. Some Of them are dis
tingushed. 1t seems to us only just that
you now give the voters of Maine an oppor-
tunity to express their convictions at the
polls. If majority of women are opposed,
as is claimed their wishes will lind voice
through the voters We only ask for 0ppor-
tunity for coting TO the decision Of the
polls we shall cheerfully submit
HENRY BLANCHARD,
President.
To the Editor Of the Press:
In the early days of woman's suffrage
agitation, those ladies who desired the bal
lot were held up to ridicule, as "Woman's
Rights Women" one cannot help thinking
that the struggle among some of the ladies
in this city at the present time nor to have
their rights is almost as ludicrous. The
question as it now stands, Is, whether it
shall become question of liberation or big
otry. Supposing four-tifths of the ladies in
the State did not care to vote, it would no
doubt be, because three-quarters of that num-
Der hadInever thought seriously about it. If
1t should happen that the majority of the
men did not wish their wives, mothers and
sisters to vote, things might then, for the
present go back to their normal condition
and no harm be done from any standpoint
unless this skirmishing among the ladies
SHOULD be found to have prepared the way"
like John the Baptist, for some future good
fighting and victories for suffrage. But it
would seem only bigotry which would wish
to hinder men from expressing their views
on the subject at the polls.
1t would be an humiliating admission to
make, at this advanced stage of civilization.
that woman taken as whole would add a
minus quantity to the uprightness of the
popular vote. 1t is claimed squarely by the
opposers Of suffrage for women, that they
wish all the benefits with none of its bur-
dens-certainly strong attitude to take.
1t seems quite as much to ask of men, to
change the laws to suit our needs ana whims
as to ask them to allow us to vote. They
might reply appropriately in the words of
the Puritan maiden, Priscilla, when John
Alden went wooing for another, ''Why don't
you speak for yourself, John?" or in this
case why don't you ,oish to speak for yoa'-
selres?
In this matter of exemption from the bur-
dens looked for from the ballot, no doubt
lies the key note of all the objections of the
most intelligent women. Our American
women are so overburdened in one way and
another, mentally, socially and physically.
that their hearts cry out against one more
duty with its complications. But there is
ground to hope that after its adjustment. suf-
frage will prove panacea for large num-
Der of the ills which now burden women,
that it will ''shift off, many of the old bur
dens as new ones begin to fall. When wom-
en- commence to think and act for themselves
universally, as they will be obliged to with
the ballot in hand, then self-respect will in
crease, and they will become more patient
and forbearing towards one another, and
quarrels will be less frequent among the
lower classes, their character will become
more elevated and female suffrage will be
sure to enhance the dignity of the ballot.
AN IMPARTIAL OBSERVER